Cancer-associated fibroblasts, clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of liver cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis based on real-world research

Table 1 Summary of included studies in meta-analysis

Ref.	Country	Study type	Total (Male:Female:Unknown)	Follow-up (months)	NOS score	Sample	Cut-off value	Detecting methods	Index (ECM target)	Number (High:Low) (n)	Tumor size (cm) (> 5)	High AFP (> 200)	Venous infiltration	TNM stage (advanced)	Differentiation	Prognosis	Analysis type
Fang et al[25], 2018	China	Retrospective cohort	90:11	41	7	HCC tissue	The mean value of thickness of the stroma > 238.6 μm	IHC staining	α-SMA	52:48	41:33	29:18	23:24	25:28	NA	NA	NA
Eguchi et al[24], 2023	Japan	Retrospective cohort	49:22	NA	7	iCCA resected specimens	no	IHC staining	α-SMA	22:49	NA	NA	17:27	15:27	NA	OS	Multivariate
Cioca et al[23], 2017	Romania	Cross-sectional study	50:22	NA	6	HCC tissue	no	IHC staining	Podoplanin	23:49	9:17	NA	6:19	5:21	NA	NA	NA
Lan et al[26], 2022	Japan	Retrospective cohort	88:77	34.8	7	iCCA	Positive (> 0)	IHC staining	CAV1	78:80	NA	NA	NA	NA	28:23	OS	Multivariate
Zhang et al[30], 2017	China	Retrospective cohort	33:38	1.3-63.2	7	iCCA	IHC staining score ≥ 2	IHC staining	α-SMA	45:26	27:12	NA	4:1	23:12	20:5	OS	Multivariate
							IHC staining score ≥ 2	IHC staining	FSP-1	60:11	33:7	NA	5:0	32:3	24:1	OS	Univariate
							IHC staining score ≥ 2	IHC staining	PDGFRβ	56:15	29:10	NA	4:1	29:6	19:6	OS	Univariate
Amer et al[22], 2022	Egypt	Retrospective cohort	47:13	NA	6	HCC tissue	NA	IHC staining	Podoplanin	41:19	37:15	NA	3:8	NA	NA	NA	NA
Guan et al[31], 2018	China	Retrospective cohort	105	NA	5	HCC tissue	30% positive staining	IHC staining	Cav-1	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	OS	Univariate
Peng et al[27], 2022	China	Retrospective cohort	253:121	NA	6	HCC tissues and normal tissues	According to the median expression value of RAB42	IHC staining	RAB42	186:187	NA	66:51	NA	121:139	NA	OS	Univariate
Peng et al[28], 2022	China	Retrospective cohort	253:122	NA	6	HCC tissues and normal liver tissues	According to the median expression value of RAB6B	IHC staining	RAB6B	186:187	NA	59:58	NA	125:135	NA	OS	Univariate
Wang et al[29], 2016	China	Retrospective cohort	124	60	5	HCC tissues	NA	IHC staining	α-SMA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	OS	Multivariate

NOS: Newcastle-Ottawa Scale; ECM: Extracellular matrix; AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; TNM: Tumor-node-metastasis; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; IHC: Immunohistochemistry; α-SMA: Α-smooth muscle actin; NA: Not available; iCCA: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma; OS: Overall survival; CAV1: Caveolin 1; FSP-1: Fibroblast specific protein 1; PDGFRβ: Platelet-derived growth factor receptor; RAB42: Ras-related protein rab-42; RAB6B: Ras-related protein Rab-6B.